America is too strong to be undone by violence

Mr. Speaker, Sept. 11, 2001 will long stand as one of the
darkest days in U.S. history. But in the aftermath of those heinous
attacks on our nation, the world has seen us in what may well be
our finest hours.

With each passing hour after of the attacks on our nation's most
enduring symbols, we learned about Americans reaching out to help
their neighbors. All across the land, people were lining up to
donate blood, giving their time at hospitals to treat victims and
offering an untold amount of assets to the common cause of the
disaster recovery. And we now know that the earliest heroes of this
unprecedented tragedy even sacrificed their lives to spare far more
Americans and their government from further horror. We thank all
those who have risen to the challenge, and the many more sure to
come to our aid in this time of crisis. You all exemplify what is
best about our country and why we endure in good times and bad.

Diverse and independent as we Americans are, we have never lost
our underlying national unity. Our freedoms allow us to question
other's views, and to publicly criticize our government. We are
able to challenge the underlying principles of every public policy,
and we are proud to do so for all Americans and the world to view.
Some perceive those differences of opinion as a sign of weakness to
be exploited, but they are what weave together the broad tapestry
that is America and allows it to thrive as a superpower.

Indeed, we are a people of many heritages, customs, religions
and political viewpoints. It is not surprising that we have often
found ourselves disagreeing on social policies, programs and
personal value issues. But no one should mistake that for a lack of
the most important traditional family value of all -- that as
Americans.

No matter what our religious beliefs, we can join together for a
moment of silence. We can still pray together for friends,
neighbors, our community and our country. No matter where we stand
on any raging debate of the day, we are still able to start each
ballgame standing together to sing the national anthem. Despite our
political differences, all members in the House of Representatives
and students across America start each day together saying the
Pledge of Allegiance. And even when we disagree with our
government, citizens still fly the American flag with pride. And
yes, we can even reach fever pitch debating the federal budget and
our economic future. But in the end we work together trying to
develop a plan that will best protect our future. And we have seen
just that in recent weeks. The ties that bind us may be flexible,
but they are stronger than ever. It should be clear today that we
will always join together when our national security is threatened,
and we will do what is necessary to protect our interests.

Unfortunately, some individuals are more committed to extremism
in the name of religion rather than freedom. They will go to any
lengths to achieve their goals and show their commitment to the
cause. Undercutting adversaries, whether real or perceived, is
more important than abiding by the laws of their religion. They are
threatened by the United States, and our willingness to defend
other freedom-loving people under siege. But they are not able to
take us on in the open, in the naked light of world opinion,
because they know they are destined to lose that battle. And they
don't have the capability or the human resources to confront us
militarily. So they strike out in the kind of cowardly acts of
violence we saw yesterday -- seeking desperate revenge on those who
challenge them and hoping to undermine our will.

It should be clear to everyone following this tragedy that the
terrorists have not succeeded in their suicide mission. In fact,
world opinion has totally turned against them. Those who supported
this deadly mission and any future would-be terrorists need to
understand one thing: Their attempts to undermine us has only
strengthened our resolve to protect our interests. And protect them
we will.

Our nation is grieving its losses, and I share in offering my
sympathy to the many families and neighbors who have lost loved
ones to this senseless crime against humanity. We are grateful for
the many individuals who have come to the aid of their fellow
citizens, and are humbled by the acts large and small. But as we
respond to this tragedy, we will not ignore the need to protect our
security interests. We will stand one hundred percent behind our
government in its efforts to respond. Rest assured, we will
dedicate no less effort or resources to tracking down the
perpetrators of these deadly attacks than we have to the
humanitarian cause. We will exact a price for those who acted
against our country and all who enabled them -- wherever they may
be. We will not relent until we are satisfied that all have been
accounted for and brought to justice, and that the world
understands that the cost of threatening our freedoms is too high.

U.S. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Escondido, made this
statement Wednesday on the floor of the U.S. House of
Representatives.